Pisaq & Ollantaytambo Review: Your Machu Picchu Starting Points

If you are gearing up to explore Machu Picchu, then visiting Pisaq and Ollantaytambo is often part of the grand plan, like setting the stage for the main act, and the cool thing is, each place provides a super distinctive taste of Inca culture. Located in the Sacred Valley near Cusco, Peru, these ancient sites feature impressive ruins, so very striking markets, and an amazing, almost breathtaking glimpse into a history that, still, seems very much alive. We’re going to go through the stuff that you might want to know to help you sort of plan the ultimate trip that you might enjoy a whole bunch.

Pisaq: A Market and Mountain Fortress

Pisaq is basically well known for a couple things, so really its vibrant market and also a mountainside ruin that gives you fantastic views. The market days – very normally Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays – are sort of absolutely bursting with locals and tourists alike, looking for everything, right from textiles and crafts all the way through to fresh produce and yummy street food, so the colorful displays are an awesome photo opportunity, yet you can still try and haggle a little bit for the absolute great deal. Then when you climb way above the town, the Pisaq ruins are just, just amazing – a super impressive display of Inca engineering, with terraces that curve and climb the slopes, offering really expansive views all the way around the valley, a spot where history seems to whisper.

Exploring the Pisaq Ruins

To really take in the entire archaeological site, be very sure to allow at least half a day, possibly a little more too, actually. A bit challenging is the climb up that first main section, though it’s kind of achievable for anyone with some decent fitness, possibly reasonable stamina levels, but it could be totally worthwhile for the views and the chance to explore. It’s almost worth maybe considering hiring a tour guide, since they’ll tell you lots of things you didn’t already know, basically giving you context on just how the Incas actually built this place and sort of how they might have used it, possibly teaching about the Sun Temple, the cemeteries, and, clearly, the agricultural terraces, while perhaps also going at a slightly easier speed, you understand.

Tips for Visiting the Pisaq Market

Go early: Beating the tourist crowds might just get you a better pick of the bunch and kind of let you take in a bit of the, like, super genuine local atmosphere.
Bring cash: Almost most vendors don’t take cards, and also getting money out isn’t particularly simple.
Haggle respectfully: Negotiations is completely normal, however be just a little respectful and very reasonable about your bids; in short, basically don’t go too crazy.
Try the food: Sample all the regional delicacies available; the empanadas in Pisaq are quite amazing.

Ollantaytambo: The Living Inca City

Basically, Ollantaytambo is quite different; it really has been called a ‘Living Inca City’, clearly because people still exist and live right within ancient Inca walls. That’s just unbelievable, like the very layout of the town, including the aqueducts and some roads, very still follow the exact original Inca design. That is just so awesome. Now, this area once served as a super important military, religious, and agricultural place; also today, you see a few rather substantial ruins where that history is just sort of obvious.

The Fortress and Temple Hill

Ollantaytambo Fortress, set on a high, imposing hill, shows very impressive stonework and a huge set of terraces, too; it’s basically much more than just a fortress – it has temples like the Temple of the Sun and just a series of finely made buildings. Climbing up is really rewarded, though; that’s something very to be kept in the front of your mind; so just, if you could do it, that might be worthwhile, particularly when you see, as I’ve mentioned a bunch of times already, the spectacular views all around; as you would almost certainly imagine, and for those that take photographs that are nice to sort of reflect upon. Give at the very least three hours to completely see the fortress and surrounding area, and so you really appreciate both the sheer scale and historic insight that can be taken from such.

Walking Through the Town

Walking just near and along the streets of Ollantaytambo is such an amazing experience; imagine what those walls can tell you. Lots of places to shop sell handicrafts plus textiles that really are regional and are usually not there in other places; you would like to grab anything just as a souvenir. Think of visiting the local market, basically trying many traditional restaurants or maybe just interacting together with some friendly locals so that way you totally feel its heartbeat – its really still a place and a town that sort of is alive and moving at its own tempo.

Practical Tips for Ollantaytambo

Acclimatization: Consider being there just before any significant hiking at altitude due the fact that Ollantaytambo stands right at 2,792 meters above the level of the sea.
Entrance Ticket: Getting yourself the Boleto Turístico (Tourist Ticket) can often supply you access into a bunch of the sites around, like, the Sacred Valley plus Ollantaytambo; you might choose a partial or full one, usually, you should certainly sort out what suits the agenda.
Stay overnight: By setting yourself in Ollantaytambo you do tend to beat some rush and savor a bit more relaxed pace and sort of, still, get to grips and immerse into the local charm – you know, slow yourself a bit.
Train to Machu Picchu: Very remember the train to Machu Picchu happens and goes via Ollantaytambo; very making it convenient as a hop off place to sight see, go check all the Inca site before, right before that other journey.

Pisaq and Ollantaytambo: Compared

While both the places absolutely present distinct perspectives regarding the Inca legacy, in that respect is a few stuff separating these places so you might pick stuff well to, basically. Whereas Pisaq is perhaps popular for that vibrant market together with mountainside ruins, maybe try to remember that Ollantaytambo is instead admired since that well-preserved “Living Inca City”; almost meaning where the inhabitants live inside Inca walls, too. Very, a visit might, quite, let you shop combined to the bustling area while hiking to views right away at mountain tops; also still a trip here, lets you get to grips right in that historical site combined the feeling being an essential district.

Accessibility and Time

Because Pisaq comes relatively near to Cusco – like just approximately 1 hour by vehicle, just, its maybe more suitable that kind of a visit in that very day, and then especially if then maybe you might desire go go explore at a good speed. However then Ollantaytambo kind of provides much more that immersive involvement where folks stay in it; probably is more remote location makes setting down right over-night more rewarding – perhaps its worth taking that sort of into the thinking too. What you pick then could totally turn up in that amount one tends to hold, and yet again perhaps how profoundly people can intend get lost during them ancient ruins so full so very packed filled very the time with of heritage as history, though – think on; right now?

Which Should You Visit?

Quite it basically depends and so is totally contingent. For those shopping aficionados combined folks which value wonderful sights with the valley’s broad viewscapes, in this case a trip here may prove just correct fit right on you! Instead of that, those into deeply getting involved directly the setting within antiquity – that’s antiquity – may get its liking far at that location: being: location of ancient wall dwellings; with something historical in store – always some place there could easily be, for you if one wants this, actually anyway as one tends for deep involve within an ancient background- that’s there ready to explore always too so easily.

Combining Pisaq and Ollantaytambo with Machu Picchu

Right integrating tours together to spots basically lets very smoothly enhance your overall trek before then even attempting visiting one big attraction itself here that, there, around everyone hopes all travelers see here today which can actually bring together very distinct taste when learning such historical journey you just go along with.

Strategic Planning

A standard strategy takes beginning trip by travelling by transport off this starting line; usually getting at, there you are — Pisaq- usually- getting its site during midday perhaps after a lot when really seeing bustling shopping region takes root next going to one further section; further point- towards place: located over right the Valley near site that Ollantaytambo presents travelers lots stuff waiting plus more to investigate then simply taking into its rich culture.

Transportation Tips

When wanting moving amongst various town spots which can come basically right for doing here from tour company services all doing such trips using taxi – they could turn quite practical; for moving throughout location points where perhaps sometimes buses usually exist available especially with connections among those here however; it all kind then takes checking out that means really reliable for schedule purposes prior so one prevents getting stuck – and has alternative should necessary change along how.

Tour companies: Book full-day trips through a reputable travel company that sorts out each the logistical details – possibly all.
Taxis and colectivos: Shared taxis – they are known local taxis – just provide great cost effective means as getting from places.
Train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes: Don’t mostly underestimate perhaps booking right in time that tickets of trains specifically when seasons peaks mostly and it is quite usually that transport options go very easy, just a little hard booking since such things happen frequently – don’t hesitate when you actually go ahead ahead!

Final Thoughts

Basically when choosing Pisaq then Ollantaytambo will really absolutely lift an absolute value that’s really of what might just be thought up when attempting setting sights what could be an wonderful excursion towards experiencing that historic heritage over this awesome place where people once stood.

Really learn with various, all that ancient civilization history plus marvel during engineering talents then also appreciate each very different local culture vibe
Arrange all your time properly because both are simply such very unique tourist vacation destinations so, where its better setting appropriate hours which makes more fun overall trip!
To fully simply be preparing ahead regarding travel as its so critical to being stress free on those paths and trips when exploring Inca locations and all.

So it’s almost a recommendation, maybe you give a peek into each just as parts about trips prior to checking off and fully experiencing things such an all around very nice trip for us people over who just basically try getting lost away such, such wonder. It’s awesome I find for folks who just really so desire get to explore culture!

With these reviews, the aim of these is to sort of enrich just exactly some preparation while travelling – giving yourself the proper basis what really just will do justice in that way too right throughout that awe time.

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